Update on GRADES

I am posting the grades for the quiz and publishing them on the grade website today. I can not release the test for test corrections because there are students who missed the quiz for various reasons. Once everyone has taken the quiz I will allow corrections for 25% of the points for each incorrect answer. Please be patient until I get scores for all students.

All Atmospheric Heating Project Evaluations should be submitted ASAP. I will be posting these and adding them to your grade next week. If I don't get your evaluation, you will only get the log in grade - if you logged it in originally.

I am reviewing science project paperwork as quickly as I can. If you followed directions and completed forms 1, 1a, 1b, and typed out a COMPLETE Research Plan including your bibliography then I should  be able to review it quickly and get it back in your hands. More on this in a later post.

I am posting do-over scores as quickly as I can. It takes time to re-grade/re-post for late work. This is time that I won't take away from preparing new lessons or new activities. If you are waiting for a do-over to be posted I'm going to expect you to be patient as there is only 1 of me and right now I have about 60 do-overs to be re-graded and re-posted. All Do-overs are due in no later than December 4.

Test Corrections for Atmospheric Heating will be posted after everything else, so again, patience is necessary on your part. If you haven't done them get them in to me ASAP. I am setting the deadline for do overs and test corrections for FRIDAY, December 4. I do NOT guarantee that these grades will be "changed"/re-posted before PROGRESS REPORTS come out next week.

Student Progress may be viewed through the grade portal. Please do not ask me to identify which assessments you did poorly on. You were provided with a hard copy of a progress report last week. Show that to your parents. They may get their portal info from the school. Parents will need to go to the guidance department and show an ID to obtain the information. Parents should not expect to have any conferences about science projects or grades on Science Night. It's a fun night to DO some science with your child.

ONLY Gizmo Assessment Questions are eligible for do-overs.

Science Projects should be well underway. For those of you who have finished your experimentation it's time to analyze the data. See the student handbook for the parts to the research paper. Check the diagram on http://www.nefrsef.org/ for how to set up your board. I will go over research papers and boards next week during our 2nd class of the week (A day = Wednesday and B Day = Thursday). Bring your science project data log and all of your handouts.

Formal Portfolios need to be developed. You will need a folder with pockets and prongs to serve as your formal portfolio. This will also be kept in the classroom and you will select several pieces to analyze. Please bring in a new, clean folder.

Quiz Reminder: Weathering

The quiz will test your knowledge of Weathering and Rates of Weathering which are found in your textbook (7-1 and 7-2). Remember you have to choose between doing Cornell Notes or the foldable for key terms fo BOTH sections. Be sure to have it with you in class. Bring any questions you want to ask BEFORE the quiz about the two sections.  I will check the notes or foldables during the quiz.

Quiz schedule:
A day - Monday
B-day Tuesday
If you miss the quiz it is up to you to make it up during Leadership Tuesdays or during Science Tutoring. You may only stay for tutoring if YOU bring me a note from home on Monday that tells me either who will pick you up at 3pm on Tuesday or where you will go for supervision. I do not keep students with me after 3:00 unless they are supposed to be in Community Ed. or TeamUp. Students who are not enrolled in either program must be picked up at 3pm.

Are You Coming to JLCP's 2nd Annual SCIENCE Night?

JLCP is hosting a science night for ALL 6th grade students and their families along with 5th grade students who have been invited to experience our school. It is on Tuesday, December 1, 2009. It is from 6-7pm.

Science and Fun will be on the agenda. I know that there will be things that go POP!!! and other exciting activities that you will want to get the "scoop" on.

Interim Progress Reports

I am in the process of issuing interim progress reports to all of my students this week. B day received them today (Wednesday) and A day will receive them on Thursday. The grade this week is  a snapshot of a student's progress not the final destination. It is fluid and may change over time. Parents, before you contact me about your child's grade PLEASE ask your child why she or he EARNED the grade that she or he did. There are some students who have earned very strong grades of A, B, or C based on their activity, assessment, and technology grades. Remember, the grade categories are weighted with ASSESSMENTS being worth 60% of the grade. Technology and Activities are each 20%. Missing or not doing well on Gizmo Assessment Questions can pull a grade right down.

What is the student to do???????  I have the following safety nets in place currently: students may make test corrections to their Quiz on Atmospheric Heating. They may submit Copies of their Assessment Question Scores along with a DO OVER form (posted on scribd and the link is in the entry that follows this one). There is one caveat about the Gizmo Assessment ?s. A score of 5/5 submitted as a do over will only be worth 90 points. This will help the student who did not succeed originally, but will not punish a student for doing well the first time. In fact, any student who submits a grade of less than 5/5 is hurting his or her own grade because 4/5 is 80%, 3/5 is 60% and grades like those pull an average down. There is no do over for do overs.  There are also no do overs for Gizmo SEGs which are found in the technology section. Completing the Student Exploration Guide correctly and submitting it on time will guarantee a student 10/10 points. If it is incomplete then a grade of 6/10 will be earned.

If I have made an error in posting a grade (and it happens) then all a student has to do is bring the graded activity that will show me where the error occurred and speak with me when we have some time in class or team time. The activity must have evidence that it was turned in to me (stamp or sticker ) to be considered. Many student products are kept in their portfolios which are in the classroom. Students have access to their portfolio almost all of the time. Other products will be in their ISN. Yes, there are more papers to pass back to be filed away.

Posting another source for the do over form

Do Over Form for Late or Missing Assignments.

Protecting Our Water - It's 11 p.m.

NASA Spinoff 2009 Highlights Technologies That Improve Life on Earth might be a good resource for your HISTORY PROJECT

I got this press release from NASA today and I think it would be a great resource for students who are looking for History Fair Ideas. Maybe that's you.

RELEASE : 09-260
NASA Spinoff 2009 Highlights Technologies That Improve Life on Earth WASHINGTON -- T
he 2009 edition of NASA's Spinoff, a publication that shows how NASA technology is being put to use in everyday life here on Earth, is available in print and online.


The latest Spinoff highlights 49 significant examples of how NASA innovations have been transferred to the commercial marketplace, resulting in healthcare advances, transportation breakthroughs, public safety initiatives, new consumer goods, environmental protection, computer technology, and industrial productivity.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, this year's edition of Spinoff also recaps how Apollo continues to provide tangible benefits to the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world.

Highlights of Spinoff 2009 include:

*How a NASA scientist-licensed Hubble Space Telescope scheduling technology and adapted it to help hospitals handle dynamic rescheduling issues. Using the On-Cue system, one hospital reported a 12 percent increase in procedure volume, a 35 percent reduction in staff overtime, and significant reductions in backlog and technician phone time.
* The Givens Buoy Life Raft incorporates a NASA-developed raft design used for recovering pioneer astronauts after ocean splashdowns, has been credited with saving more than 400 lives.

* An adapted Hubble Space Telescope star-mapping algorithm is helping researchers track the elusive whale shark using the unique spots on the shark's skin. Using the algorithm and a photograph database receiving contributions from scuba divers worldwide, researchers last year documented more than 2,400 sightings of the rare animal. Previously, there were only a few hundred documented sightings in total.

* Using NASA satellite data, WorldWinds Inc. supplies about 8,500 XM satellite radio subscribers with its FishBytes fish locator service. FishBytes helps anglers target areas most likely to be frequented by their favorite types of sport fish.

Spinoff 2009 also highlights NASA research and development activities that are helping to make NASA's future missions a reality and profiles NASA education efforts and partnership successes. It also provides reference information and resources available through the NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program.

Print copies of Spinoff 2009 are available on request by calling 301-286-0561. An online version is available at:


http://spinoff.nasa.gov/

Info on IDA:

Read about IDA and try to apply what you've learned to this real life situation.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2009/h2009_Ida.html

Special note to 3rd period (and anyone else who didn't get the announcement)

Third period students,

With all the excitement generated by the unexpected arrival of fund raiser materials I neglected to pass out some announcements/invitations that were in my mail box this morning. Before I relay the message please be advised that the contents of the announcements do not represent my personal or professional beliefs and I am neither encouraging nor discouraging anyone from participating or not participating. This is an after school event and I am just the messenger. So, here's what it said...

WYLDLIFE IS BACK
Don't miss the DOUGHNUT OLYMPICS
Monday, November 9th
2:12 - 3:15
Room 329
Everyone is invited. Bring a friend
WyldLife is the middle school version of YoungLife, a Christian organization for teenagers
http://www.jaxyl.com/

There's a mention of a raffle, free food, and prizes.

Please do what you want to do with this announcement. It will be deleted on Monday.

Recap of science project update and GIZMO and test correction due dates

The science project updates were due this week. I'm using these to streamline getting projects approved. If I don't have one from you then you must hand it to me on Monday. You may also e-mail the update to me at smithp8@duvalschools.org. I will read project updates for the equivalent of one hour on Sunday on a first come first served basis. I anticipate reading the updates from 6AM - 7AM. Anything submitted after 6 am may not get read.
The questions you had to answer are:

1. What is your broad topic?
2. What question do you want to answer?
3. Rewrite your question in the format:  What is the effect of _________________________________ on ___________________________.
4. What is your independent variable? (This is what YOU will change.)
5. What is your dependent variable? (This is what you will measure.)
6. How many major sources have you found?

GIZMO due dates:
Hurricane Movement is due on Tuesday, 11/10.
Weather Maps is due on Friday, 11/13.

• The Student Exploration Guide will earn you a grade for the Technology section of the your grade. There will be NO DO OVERS for the SEG. If it's not complete or carelessly done you will only earn partial credit (60%). If you don't turn it in you will receive a failing grade. If I can't read it i can't grade it.
• The score for the Assessment Questions will be applied to the Assessment part of your grade - like a quiz grade. If the computer records a poor score you may do the questions over and print out the score and turn it in. You may just want to print out your score even if the computer accepts it in case of "technical difficulties".

Test Corrections are due the next class period**. You will receive 50% of the value for each one you correct. If you don't submit on time the corrections may drop to 25% of the value. Follow the directions to receive partial credit for any question that you got wrong. Do it on paper and not in your ISN.
Write the question or the sentence stem.
Write the correct answer (not just the letter).
Write the paragraph or paragraphs that support your answer. Underline the answer.
Have your parents, guardian, or caregiver sign the corrections. If it's not signed it will not be accepted.
** 5th period has not received the test back yet. Look for it on Monday.

Here's the Challenge: Be sure you've finished all of the questions

Unit 1 Challenge